The 2025 WWE premium live event (PLE) calendar wrapped up following Survivor Series: War Games, featuring 12 shows with WrestleMania and SummerSlam expanding to two-night events, resulting in 14 main events. This year’s PLE main events were a mix of outstanding highlights with top-tier talent and disappointing segments hampered by poor booking or performance quality.
According to TheSportster’s rating system, the least impressive PLE main event was the Men’s War Games Match at Survivor Series 2025, which ended with a 2-25 record and an overall rating of 5.5/10. This match featured a star-studded lineup including Vision’s team of Brock Lesnar, Bron Breaker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, and Drew McIntyre against Roman Reigns, Jey Uso, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Jimmy Uso. Despite the star power and historic rivalries, the match lacked compelling storytelling or quality to elevate it, with only the masked attackers’ interference offering any notable plot development.
Other notable matches include Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 41 Sunday, which received a 5.75/10 from TheSportster but suffered from awkward crowd reactions and overbooking when Travis Scott interfered, allowing Cena to cheat to victory. Conversely, the tag match at Money in the Bank 2025 featuring Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso versus John Cena & Logan Paul improved with a 7/10 score, shining in the later stages after a slow start and highlighted by Logan Paul’s dramatic moonsault.
Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre at Wrestlepalooza 2025 earned a respectable 7.5/10 rating but had a controversial ending with a referee stoppage that allowed Rhodes to capitalize. Meanwhile, Seth Rollins, CM Punk, LA Knight, and Jey Uso’s four-way clash at Clash in Paris scored a 7.75/10, offering good storytelling despite some slowed pacing due to the match’s complexity, concluding with a predictable Rollins win saved by Becky Lynch.
John Cena vs. Randy Orton at Backlash 2025 also earned a 7.75/10 rating, buoyed by an enthusiastic crowd that elevated an otherwise simple match. Cena and CM Punk’s rematch at Night of Champions 2025, rated the same, delivered a nostalgic feel with strong crowd engagement but was marred by interference and typical Cena cheating tactics.
The Men’s Elimination Chamber at the 2025 event saw a star-studded fight for the WWE Championship, featuring Cena, Punk, Rollins, McIntyre, Damian Priest, and Logan Paul, earning an 8/10. The Men’s Royal Rumble match received an 8.25/10 with mixed critical feedback but was full of entertaining moments and memorable appearances like IShowSpeed’s cameo. Similarly, Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel 2025 also scored 8.25/10, with intense storytelling and solid technical performances culminating in Rollins’ cunning victory.
Fan Take: This comprehensive review highlights the highs and lows of WWE’s 2025 main event scene, showing that while star power remains crucial, solid storytelling and quality execution are key to truly memorable matches. For WWE fans, these insights suggest a need for balanced booking to sustain interest and elevate the sport’s entertainment value in coming years.
